We love growing sunflowers! They are amazing for our gardens and beneficial to us. They bring in so many pollinators. We have bees just buzzing all around. And the birds have been keeping their little eyes on them as well. One of my favorite things is to watch all the little finches feeding on all the huge flower heads. I planted some seeds one year at my mom’s house almost 20 years ago. The next year there was a mini sunflower forest. The birds loved them. They come back every year, swarming the flowers. Those little birds then help replant the seeds for the next year. Every year my mom ends up with all kinds of volunteer sunflowers growing everywhere.
Growing Sunflowers
This year we planted a roll of sunflowers between our yard and our neighbors yard. I really liked the way they grew there. Next year I’m going to expand our sunflower garden. I want to plant little groups of them randomly around our yards. I hope the bees continue to pollinate everything we are growing back there. We drive past this really big amazing garden all the time. and we noticed all of their patches of sunflowers and all the beautiful wildflowers in front of their sunflowers. I just love the way all the flowers are growing around their main crops. I mean its not just the beauty as to why all the flowers surround all the food crops.
Sunflower Varieties
There are many different varieties of sunflowers. They differ in size, color, and petal arrangement. Some exist because of selective breeding by humans, others arise from natural hybridization. Sunflower species can interbreed and sometimes this leads to a new species with even more unique traits. Sunflowers are some of the coolest flowers. They bring color to our garden and life to our garden.
Flowers grown around food crops serve as a trap crop. This is a plant grown strategically to attract pests away from the main crop. By attracting pests to the trap crop, the main crop becomes less susceptible to insect damage. This approach makes pest management easier.
Health Benefits of sunflowers
Sunflower seeds, and the leaves offer a range of health benefits. They are a great source of magnesium, vitamin E, selenium. They have been known to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and boost the immune system. Sunflower seeds even contribute to better skin health, and even regulate your mood.
Sunflowers in my opinion bring happiness. They are always buzzing with love. Swaying with the wind. And their colors always make my soul smile. They are super easy to grow and grow best planted straight into the ground from seed. I have learned through trial and error that sunflowers do not like to be transplanted. It always seems to stunt their growth. From personal experience I say plant in late spring, once the ground has warmed. They love to be in a sunny location with well draining soil.
